One Hanger At A Time

It’s quite easy for me to get stuck in a routine. It might be for you to. Same latte. Same genre of book. Same marketing tactics for my business. Though it happens slowly but surely, as most routines do, the effect can be negative: Stagnation. Stifling of creativity. Stalling. I’ve decided to change that habit. How? One hanger at a time.

Now women might relate to this more than men but being of the fairer sex, I can only really come at this with one perspective. I chose fashion to break out of my routine. Some of you might tap out at this point but I urge you to give my small, potentially laughable suggestion some merit. After all – the struggle is still the same regardless if you’re choosing a tie or a necklace. How did I start my revolution? I paired a sweater with a different pair of pants than I usually do.

Is your mind just completely blown or what? I know. Or what – but hang on. There is wisdom coming.

The goal of this exercise wasn’t to expand the combinations of my various jackets, sweaters and pants but to see the opportunity behind them. To remember that it was only one day. One day of trying this outfit. One day of trying something new. One day of breaking out of my routine. One day to try something “risky” and to let it unfold. Now you might still be laughing but how many times have you NOT taken a chance or pushed a risk because you saw it as a long term thing instead of just one day?

By committing to that simple mantra of just one day, I was able to let go of some of the anxiety that can surround change and trying something new. Weird for someone who has started three businesses in the past 1 1/2 years right? But with starting those businesses I encountered a new set of challenges involving self promotion and sales. And what is fashion but another way of selling yourself?

This is also a manageable first step towards change that make the change attainable. When it’s a bigger goal, it can seem to hard to get started but by applying a simple “it’s only one day” suddenly the pressure is off. Weeks or months to change is enough to put some people off taking any steps. But a day? Anyone can manage that.

The experiment has been going on for two months now and I’ve noticed a definite shift in my willingness to try new things. Not only in the area of my closet but more importantly my businesses. Now I’m:

more willing to take chances on sales tactics that might not work but are low risk

embracing the shift from employee to entrepreneur mindset

looking at opportunities that I might have passed over previously as now possible

taking more seriously my role as a business / community influencer

In this day and age, it’s easy to go from insignificant to a viral online trend in a matter of hours but if I never try, I’ll never know. So day by day, hanger by hanger, tactic by tactic I’m letting go of the paralysis and stepping forward in to change. After all, it’s just one day.

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Published by Elizabeth Plouffe

Writer, communicator, entrepreneur, tea enthusiast (bordering on fanatic) who enjoys helping others connect. Cookbook reader, cottage lover, book devourer (apparently I make up my own language too) and seeker of the ambition to exercise.
View all posts by Elizabeth Plouffe